Dovizioso outduels Marquez in the rain

Marquez (L) and Dovizioso (R) have each won 5 times in 2017
Marquez (L) and Dovizioso (R) have each won 5 times in 2017

In pouring rain at the Twin Ring Motegi, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) staged one of the greatest MotoGP duels of all time, putting everything on the line down to the final lap and the final corner. And despite the best efforts of the reigning Champion, it was Andrea Dovizioso who emerged victorious from 'Victory' corner in Japan – taking his fifth win of the season, the seventh of his career, and one of the most spectacular in history.

Marquez was an incredibly close second for his 100th career podium, with Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) completing the podium.

It was Marquez took the lead off the front row, with Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) soon pouncing on the first lap to take second and then take over in the lead. Marquez was followed by Petrucci and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), with Dovizioso staging a stunning start to tag on the back. Marquez then fought back as Lorenzo moved back slightly, before Petrucci struck at the front and the trio who would head the remaining laps was decided: Petrucci, Marquez, and Dovizioso.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]As the laps ticked down, the two title contenders remained locked together and Petrucci found some clear air in the lead. But with 12 laps to go Marquez made his first move to take over, with ‘DesmoDovi’ then through on his compatriot to keep close company with the Championship leader. They pulled away, and the stage was set.

With six laps to go, Dovizioso attacked at Turn 6, and the cat and mouse continued. Marquez then hit back with a brutal pass in Turn 3 with three laps to go, and the fuse was lit. Dueling it out with some of the most spectacular racing of the season – and in the pouring rain – it seemed Marquez was holding the cards as the final lap approached.

Pushing hard to catch the race and Championship leader, the gap was hovering just over half a second for Dovizioso, until Marquez suddenly suffered a moment at Turn 8 and the Ducati was back on him. The Italian struck to take the lead soon after and prepared himself for the aptly-named victory corner – knowing the number 93 was close behind and undoubtedly with Austria on his mind.

The door didn’t prove closed for Marquez as he shot up the inside, but Dovizioso was prepared for the move and kept it together as the Repsol Honda headed wide. Almost neck and neck over the line, it was ‘DesmoDovi’ who took the victory in a duel that will go down in history – and he cuts the gap to 11 points at the top.

“Of course I tried and gave it my 100%, fighting until the last lap and the last corner," said Marquez.

The start
The start

"It was an amazing race with the two guys fighting for the Championship fighting for the win. Today there was a lot of water on track and for some reason I was struggling a little more than expected. I tried to push and be smooth but Andrea was very fast too for the entire race.

"Entering the last lap, I knew I had only a very small advantage ahead but then I made a small mistake in turn eight, well, quite a big mistake actually, and he caught me.

"After he passed he was very strong on the brakes and I wasn’t able to match him. In the last corner I tried again but it was not possible to pass him again. Today he did an incredible race and won but anyway I’m happy with our result as I was expecting him to be very very fast here. We scored some good points and made a good show for the fans so it’s ok".

Behind the trio on the rostrum it was a stunning ride for Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into fourth, as the Italian picked his way through from P12 on the grid as was able to close in on his teammate Alex Rins, then getting past him in the latter stages. Rins was top rookie after his own display of brilliance, however, earlier shadowing Zarco and then moving through as the Frenchman faded.

After dropping back after a stunning start, Jorge Lorenzo was able to move back past those ahead of him to cross the line in sixth for another good haul of points – getting back Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) as his final victim, with the Spaniard coming seventh. Zarco faded in the latter stages to head home in P8, ahead of a difficult day for Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). Vinales is now 41 points off Marquez at the top of the table.

Marquez being hounded by Dovizioso
Marquez being hounded by Dovizioso

Loris Baz (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the top ten as he sliced through in the rain, with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking another top result for the Austrian factory in P11. In twelfth, it was wildcard Yamalube Factory Racing rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga – 2017 Suzuka 8H winner and former MotoGP™ podium finisher – as the Japanese veteran impressed as ever.

Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) took his best ever result and some good points in P13, with the points scorers completed by Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) and Tito Rabat (EG 0,0 Marc VDS). Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) crashed out of contention, but rider ok.

Now the Championship heads for the legendary Phillip Island, with the gap at the top now cut down to 11 points and three rounds remaining. Motegi was a duel that will go down in history, as will 2017. But with whose name engraved on the trophy?

Race Results

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Points

Team

Constructor

Time/Gap

1

Dovizioso Andrea

4

ITA

25

Ducati Team

Ducati

47'14.236

2

Marquez Marc

93

SPA

20

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

0.249

3

Petrucci Danilo

9

ITA

16

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

10.557

4

Iannone Andrea

29

ITA

13

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

18.845

5

Rins Alex

42

SPA

11

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

22.982

6

Lorenzo Jorge

99

SPA

10

Ducati Team

Ducati

24.464

7

Espargaro Aleix

41

SPA

9

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

28.010

8

Zarco Johann

5

FRA

8

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

29.475

9

Vinales Maverick

25

SPA

7

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

36.575

10

Baz Loris

76

FRA

6

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

48.506

11

Espargaro Pol

44

SPA

5

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

56.357

12

Nakasuga Katsuyuki

21

JPN

4

Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing

Yamaha

1'00.181

13

Lowes Sam

22

GBR

3

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

1'00.980

14

Barbera Hector

8

SPA

2

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

1'03.118

15

Rabat Tito

53

SPA

1

EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

1'03.514

16

Redding Scott

45

GBR

0

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

1'04.162

17

Smith Bradley

38

GBR

0

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

1'06.271

18

Aoyama Hiroshi

7

JPN

0

EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

1'13.250

19

Bautista Alvaro

19

SPA

0

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

3 laps

20

Pedrosa Dani

26

SPA

0

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

4 laps

21

Abraham Karel

17

CZE

0

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

5 laps

22

Crutchlow Cal

35

GBR

0

LCR Honda

Honda

10 laps

23

Rossi Valentino

46

ITA

0

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

19 laps

24

Nozane Kohta

31

JPN

0

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

21 laps

Rider Standings

Pos.

Rider

Num

Nation

Points

Team

Constructor

1

Marquez Marc

93

SPA

244

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

2

Dovizioso Andrea

4

ITA

233

Ducati Team

Ducati

3

Vinales Maverick

25

SPA

203

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

4

Pedrosa Dani

26

SPA

170

Repsol Honda Team

Honda

5

Rossi Valentino

46

ITA

168

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

Yamaha

6

Zarco Johann

5

FRA

125

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

7

Lorenzo Jorge

99

SPA

116

Ducati Team

Ducati

8

Petrucci Danilo

9

ITA

111

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

9

Crutchlow Cal

35

GBR

92

LCR Honda

Honda

10

Folger Jonas

94

GER

84

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

Yamaha

11

Bautista Alvaro

19

SPA

70

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

12

Espargaro Aleix

41

SPA

62

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

13

Miller Jack

43

AUS

56

EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

14

Redding Scott

45

GBR

56

Octo Pramac Racing

Ducati

15

Iannone Andrea

29

ITA

50

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

16

Baz Loris

76

FRA

45

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

17

Espargaro Pol

44

SPA

42

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

18

Rins Alex

42

SPA

38

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

19

Rabat Tito

53

SPA

29

EG 0,0 Marc VDS

Honda

20

Abraham Karel

17

CZE

28

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

Ducati

21

Barbera Hector

8

SPA

25

Reale Avintia Racing

Ducati

22

Pirro Michele

51

ITA

18

Ducati Test Team

Ducati

23

Smith Bradley

38

GBR

14

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

24

Kallio Mika

36

FIN

11

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

KTM

25

Lowes Sam

22

GBR

5

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

Aprilia

26

Nakasuga Katsuyuki

21

JPN

4

Yamalube Yamaha Factory Racing

Yamaha

27

Guintoli Sylvain

50

FRA

1

Team Suzuki Ecstar

Suzuki

Team Standings

Pos.

Team

Points

1

Repsol Honda Team

414

2

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP

371

3

Ducati Team

349

4

Monster Yamaha Tech 3

209

5

Octo Pramac Racing

167

6

Pull&Bear Aspar Team

98

7

LCR Honda

92

8

Team Suzuki Ecstar

89

9

EG 0,0 Marc VDS

85

10

Reale Avintia Racing

70

11

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini

67

12

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

67

Constructor Standings

Pos.

Team

Points

1

Honda

294

2

Ducati

273

3

Yamaha

265

4

Suzuki

77

5

Aprilia

64

6

KTM

51